Meet Me Halfway and I'll Carry Us the Rest
by angelgirlsko12
Summary: Yaoyorozu decides to study abroad following their graduation. Shouto tries to be happy with her decision. "(Don't) Stop Me Now". An eventual collection of Todomomo one-shots. (4/?)
1. A Metaphor for the Heart

**A Metaphor for the Heart**

 _Confessions are hard, but even more so when the recipient in question doesn't understand the situation._

 _(A/N: This is pure fluff. The "second button" tradition is something I've been a sucker for for awhile; you can read more about it here:_

 _2016/03/way-to-high-school-boys-heart-goes-through-button-on-his-jacket/_

 _I was originally going to use the whole second button concept for a Royai fic, but thought the high school setting of BnHA was more fitting.)_

* * *

"What!? You two are _dating_?"

"Mmmhmm…"

Momo looked at her friend incredulously. "When did this happen?"

"Right after the ceremony. Kaminari found me on the way back to the classroom."

"Who confessed?"

Kyoka sighed, leaning forward on her desk and twirling the end of one of her earphone jacks around her finger. "I guess he did—? It was really uncool. He was all ' _Hey, so we're dating right?_ ' and I said ' _Wait, what?_ ' ' _Oh, do you not want to?_ ' ' _No, I didn't say that…_ ' ' _Is that a yes then?_ ' ' _Yeah._ ' ' _Awesome!_ ' ' _Cool._ '"

Momo chuckled at the subtle inflections in Kyoka's voice as she reenacted their exchange. Kyoka pouted, the memory making her face hot.

"I guess this _is_ the last time we will all be together as a class. It makes sense that people want to put their feelings out there before we all go our separate ways," Momo mused aloud. There was something vaguely nostalgic about the thought, but given that they had only just graduated, she didn't quite feel the reality of it just yet. She chuckled, then whispered, "Guess all your teasing the last few years did some good."

Kyoka sunk lower in her seat at her friend's teasing. She quickly attempted to change the subject. " _Hey, are you planning on confessing to anyone, Yaomomo?_ "

Momo blinked wide-eyed as she processed what her friend had just said.

"No, of course not!" she stammered, then narrowed her eyes at the girl beside her. "Why, do you have someone in mind?"

Kyoka didn't respond. Tilting her head to the side, she gave Momo a knowing look, a devious grin spreading across her face. Momo sighed, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on the back of her hands.

"If Todoroki…" The thought _had_ crossed her mind, but her pride quickly overpowered it. She shook her head. "No, I'd rather wait for him to say something, first."

Her friend snickered. "I think you might die waiting then."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean—" Kyoka waved her hands apologetically. "It's not that I don't think there's something there, it's just… _Todoroki_."

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He's…" She coughed, lowering her voice. " _So dense when it comes to these kinds of things_."

Momo sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I mean, you're probably right. Do you think I should say something, then?"

"Up to you," Kyoka said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "But you said it yourself a minute ago. This is the last time we'll all be together as a class."

Momo blinked at her friend and swallowed, contemplating the underlying meaning of what she had just said.

 _If you do want to say something, the time is now._

* * *

Momo paced under the tree, running over the plan in her head. She had asked Todoroki to meet her here ten minutes after the last bell rang. There was a tradition she had heard about—whispered between third-years when she was an underclassman, which she'd then sought out in books and on the internet. If confessing directly seemed like too much then maybe this…

" _Yaoyorozu!_ "

She looked up as Todoroki approached their meeting spot, his hand raised in a greeting.

"Hi Todoroki!"

He gave her a small smile. "Congratulations on graduating."

"Congratulations to you as well."

"S-sorry, you're probably wondering why I asked you to meet me here."

"About that…" He looked away sheepishly. "Yaoyorozu…there was something I wanted to ask you as well."

"Oh?"

"But you first," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Since you're the one that asked to meet I thought it must be important."

 _Right_. She took a deep breath, fiddling with her hair.

"Is everything ok? Are you feeling sick?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, that's not it at all."

 _It's now or never._

"Todoroki…" She looked away, hating the burning feeling of her face, then worked up the courage to look him in the eye.

 _"_ _May I have the second button of your school uniform?"_

She stared at him expectantly, and the moment of silence that followed felt like years.

He looked at her curiously.

"Eh? Sure? One sec."

Momo blinked as he calmly lifted his book bag over his head, setting it on the ground. Her mind attempted to make sense of the situation as he began fiddling with the second button of his jacket.

 _Was…that a yes? What—what was this reaction?!_

She jumped a bit when he interrupted her thoughts. "Oh—did you mean the second button of my jacket? Or my shirt?" He looked at her seriously.

"T-the jacket is fine—!" She squeaked, bowing her head. _That's what the tradition was, right?!_ She mentally scolded herself for not fact checking with the rest of the girls in 1-A. _I guess our uniforms aren't traditional gakurans, but…this should be ok, right?_

"Yaoyorozu…" Todoroki looked down at the gold button, which now sat in the palm of his hand. "I don't mind, but…what exactly do you need this button for?"

Momo covered her face with one hand.

 _So that's what it is._ _He—he doesn't understand the situation…_

She crossed her arms protectively across her chest. "If you don't know what it means then why did you go along with it so easily?"

Todoroki scratched his head, looking skyward. "Mmm…I guess because it's you. I trust you have good reason for asking. Even if it is a strange request."

She tightened her grip on her upper arms. "I—I read it in some books, okay? On graduation day…it's tradition for a girl to ask the guy she likes for the second button of his uniform."

"Guy she likes…" he repeated slowly as he turned his gaze back to her, musing it over.* "Tradition…"

"It's a confession, Todoroki, okay? _I am confessing to you!_ "

 _Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he doesn't—_

 _S_ he felt a twinge of satisfaction, though, when he faltered from his usual neutral expression. He looked cute when he was slightly flustered.

"O-ohhhh." He averted his eyes, contemplating the object in the palm of his hand. "Sorry, I've never heard of this tradition. Why the second button, though?"

Momo blushed, nervously twirling the ends of her bangs. "Because it's…the button closest to one's heart."

Todoroki looked down at his jacket, eyeing the second button hole on his uniform, which was considerably low on his torso. "…it would seem the second button falls closer to one's stomach," he mumbled matter-of-factly.

She looked at the ground, deflated. The laughter that followed was forced. "Never mind. Let's just pretend this never—"

"—If it's supposed to be a confession though, why ask for just a button? If it were me…" He looked into her eyes earnestly. "Can't I just ask for your heart directly?"

There wasn't a hint of irony in his voice. It was her turn to stare wide-eyed.

 _?!_

"What? Is it something I said?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "No. Yes. Are you…was that—did you just-" _Please don't say such ambiguous things~!_

She stopped and opened her eyes when she felt him press the button into her hand, closing her fingers gently around it. His face was dangerously close—closer than he had ever been before. A mixture of relief and disappointment washed over her when he stepped away.

"Yes. That is…I would like if we could continue to be together."

"W-wait, _really?_ "

"Mmm. We've both grown a lot since our first year at U.A. It's occurred to me that we work really well together and I have a lot of respect for you. I was hoping we could continue to partner up in the future and that made me realize…"

The sincerity in his voice, she decided, was one of many things that had made her fall in love with him.

"…I think I like you, Yaoyorozu."

Her look of surprise slowly crept into a smile, and she quickly swiped away the tears that had began to form in her eyes. Todoroki looked aghast.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Did I say something that—"

"No, no," She laughed. He sounded genuinely concerned. "I'm just…really happy."

"Oh."

"I like you, too, Todoroki."

* * *

"Oh—by the way, what was it that you wanted to ask me, Todoroki?"

After they had said their final good-byes to the various underclassmen and teachers, Todoroki had offered to walk her home. The sun was slowly sinking in the sky, casting a brilliant light on the buildings around them.

"Oh that," He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It was…along similar lines. I'm glad you confessed first though because in that kind of a situation…I'm not really sure what to do."

"Ah." Momo smiled quietly to herself. "I'm…glad we were on the same page."

"Mm."

They walked in silence for a bit, Momo making mental patterns out of the pavement while Todoroki admired the sun which had barely began to hit the horizon.

"Hey, Yaoyorozu, it's still pretty early," he said suddenly, stopping at the street corner.

"What about it?"

He started heading in the direction opposite of their houses, looking back expectantly at her. Confused, she trailed after him. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He smiled gently. "You trust me, right?"

"Mmm. Lead the way."

* * *

* _So that's why the underclassmen kept asking about my buttons…_


	2. Handheld Ice Pack

**Handheld Ice Pack**

 _When Yaoyorozu gets injured during training, Todoroki is there to numb the pain._

* * *

They're training for the next day's competition when it happens. Mr. Aizawa had given them clear instructions—two students would spar while the rest of the class observed, taking notes on potential strengths and weaknesses of each other's quirks and ways to effectively combat them. It would be especially handy knowledge for the upcoming competition.

Of course, the two class reps had volunteered to go first.

The match itself was initially rather uneventful—Yaoyorozu stayed mostly on defense, avoiding Iida's attacks. When Iida appeared to grow tired, though—she saw her chance and went for it. Leaping towards her opponent, she focused her mind on the composition of a staff and drew it out of her arm as she landed…a bit further out than she had planned. She lunged forward to compensate for the misjudged distance…

Things seemed to move in slow motion as Iida's right foot connected with the side of Yaoyorozu's face. The force of his Recipro jerks her head back and sends her flying. She lands, skidding across the ground on her arm before coming to a halt, face up.

To be fair, he hadn't been aiming for her face, but with her sudden shift in direction, Iida hadn't been able to change the trajectory of his kick with his ultimate move activated. It had been an unfortunate accident. The fact that Yaoyorozu was still on the ground though…that was concerning.

"Oh my gosh! Yaoyorozu, ARE YOU OKAY? I'm so sorry!" The class rep runs over to his classmate as she shakily props herself up on her arm. She gives a wordless nod of her head, gingerly bringing her other hand up to her face which is visibly red on one side. The rest of the class clamors around as Iida jumps up and approaches their homeroom teacher who's still standing a ways away.

"Mr. Aizawa! I'll use my quirk to get her an ice pack for her injury as fast as possible! This was entirely my fault, after all."

He's off before Aizawa can get a word in. The teacher blinks, incredulously. It seems Iida isn't thinking clearly. If he was, he would have realized certain things. Like how it is completely unnecessary to get an ice pack when there's…

The homeroom teacher's mouth quirks up amusedly at the sight of Shouto Todoroki crouched on the ground by Yaoyorozu as the rest of Class 1-A crowds around. The boy has a concerned expression on his face—one Aizawa knows all too well. He takes his time walking over to them.

"Oi."

All eyes immediately turn to him except for Todoroki's and Yaoyorozu's.

"Don't let this small mishap cut into your training. As your classroom representative, I'm sure Yaoyorozu wants you all to do your best in the competition tomorrow." Yaoyorozu finally looks up to meet his eyes, and she gives a small nod in agreement.

"Thank you for your concern, everyone," she addresses them, her voice weak but determined. "But Mr. Aizawa is right. I'll be fine in a bit."

"You heard her." Mr. Aizawa takes a step closer as the students slowly disperse. He assesses the damage—she seems a bit dazed but there's no blood, just some redness and swelling in the impacted area. Todoroki finally looks up.

"Todoroki, can you stay with Yaoyorozu until Iida returns with an ice pack? It doesn't seem like the injury is too serious but we should make sure she doesn't have a concussion."

"Yes, Teacher."

"Thank you." Trailing behind the crowd of students, Aizawa allows himself one glance over his shoulder before directing his thoughts entirely to training.

* * *

Shouto looks down at the girl beside him.

"Are you ok, Yaoyorozu? Do you need someone to take you to Recovery Girl?"

He asks, but he's not actually worried. He knows she can withstand more than this; she'll bounce back. Yaoyorozu's strong, there's no way something as minor as a turbo-powered kick to the face will keep her down for long.

"I think I'm okay," she responds, stretching out her neck carefully. She gently placing her fingers on her neck and jaw, wincing. Shouto notices the affected area is swelling and slowly transforming from its original angry red into a mottled purple. It looks bad. Really bad.

Okay, so maybe he's a little worried.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah, just…" She takes a deep breath. "Let me take a breather first."

He says nothing, shifting from his crouched position to sit on the grass next to her. He watches as she stretches out her left arm, gingerly twisting to look over her shoulder for any injuries there. Finding a few scratches and scrapes—nothing too serious, she turns her attention back to her face.

"It's not…" She winces again as she skims her fingertips along her cheek. "too bad. I think the ice pack will be sufficient."

He wonders how long it'll take Iida to get back. They're pretty far out from the main building, and another glance at her injuries convinces him the swelling and bruising is getting worse. The pained expression on her face is more evidence of that fact. If only there was some way he could numb the— _"Hey, Yaoyorozu."_

She looks at his outstretched arm, hand hovering by the side of her face, and her expression changes to one of confusion. "What?"

"My quirk."

Understanding washes over her features, and she nods. "Yeah, that'd be great."

He concentrates on lowering the temperature in his hand, and holds it out to cup her face, slowly, slowly drawing closer—

"Wait! Actually—"

He pulls his hand away immediately. "Sorry, what is it?"

She doesn't respond. Instead, he watches as she generates an object from her left arm and holds it out to him.

It's a glove.

"You're not supposed to put ice directly on injuries, right?"

"Oh, right." _Trust Yaoyorozu to remember something like that even at a time like this._ He slips it on—it fits his hand perfectly, somehow—and wonders how Yaoyorozu managed to do it given she just suffered a head injury. Then again, he'd expect nothing less from one of 1-A's other top students.

He finally presses his gloved palm gently against her jaw, thumb and forefinger against her cheek and the rest splayed across the side of her neck. She sighs, leaning into his hand. "Ahh, that feels better."

They stay like that for awhile. Yaoyorozu periodically punctuates the air between them with questions, and his replies seem to put her at ease. It puts _him_ at ease, knowing her injury isn't affecting her cognitive abilities— _that means it isn't that serious, right?_ He starts to feel resistance in his arm, but focuses on maintaining the cool temperature of his right hand and keeping it raised to her face. Shouto finds himself wondering what it would feel like to touch her skin without the thin fabric of the glove in the way.

"Hey, isn't your arm getting tired?" She's moved her own hand up to brush his gloved one, looking at him questioningly.

"No, it's fine."

Iida chooses that moment to make an appearance.

"YAOYOROZU!" He yells, panting. He skids to a stop, ice pack in hand, breathing hard as he puts his hands on his knees, focusing his eyes on the ground. "I ran to the health office as fast as I could to get you ice but then I REALIZED—"

He stops as he looks up at the two of them.

"O-oh, SORRY! Am I interrupting something?"

"No, no—Todoroki was just filling in as a temporary ice pack while we waited for you to return," She waved her hands dismissively. "Todoroki, you can rest your arm now. Thank you."

"No problem." He removes his hand slowly, checking the injury underneath. The purple discoloration has dulled somewhat, but it seems as if the red has distributed evenly to the rest of her face.

Iida locks eyes with him as he steps back. Shouto isn't sure what to make of the questioning look the male class rep is giving him—but Iida's subsequent grin makes him scowl.

Shifting his attention from Todoroki to Yaoyorozu, Iida steps forward, bowing as he holds the prized ice pack out. "Here you go, Yaoyorozu! Please accept my apology for that unnecessarily hard blow!"

"Thank you. And no apology needed, we should be going all out if we want to do our best at the competition tomorrow." She smiled up at him. "Please don't worry about it anymore and focus on your training."

"OF COURSE! Don't let this injury set you back from doing your best tomorrow, either!"

He engages his quirk, dashing off to join the rest of Class 1-A.

* * *

"Hey, Todoroki…" She starts, once she'd pressed Iida's hard-earned ice pack into the side of her face.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't have to…" Her eyebrows furrow as she processes her thoughts. " You could have just used your quirk to make a piece of ice for my injury…right?"

"Oh. I didn't think about that."

"Ah. So that's how it is…" She doesn't look at him, instead taking an interest in the top of her shoes.

 _Yeah…that's how it is._

He wishes she would look up at him or something. They spend the rest of the period in silence.

* * *

The bell rings soon after, and Mr. Aizawa comes back, thanking him for monitoring Yaoyorozu's condition and commenting on the glove on his right hand, which he had totally forgotten to take off.

Yaoyorozu's words echo in his ears.

He won't admit it but the thought _had_ occurred to him. And he wasn't sure why, but he had—for better or worse—decided to ignore it.

The glove comes off his hand and finds its way into his pocket. He continues contemplating this, and eventually decides that…

 _It was good practice._

He'd gotten so used to using his quirk offensively and explosively that Yaoyorozu's injury had been a good opportunity to focus on merely maintaining and enduring a lower temperature in his hand.

Looking down at his other hand, Shouto resolves to find a way to utilize his other half in a similar capacity.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

(But…maybe deep down, he just really wanted an excuse to hold her face.)

* * *

 _(A/N: Was Yaoyorozu really that hurt? *shrugs* who knows... =P_

 _More fluff—pretty sure the next thing I post will be angst, though. I actually really, really like angst but find it hard to write. Woe is me TwT)_


	3. The Demons that Haunt Us in Our Sleep

**The Demons that Haunt Us in Our Sleep**

 _Shouto suffers from guilt following Yaoyorozu's death._

 _Takes place after they graduate and become Pro Heroes._

* * *

It's been a month since that day. Todoroki remembers it well. It's the day he barely escaped with his life.

Momo Yaoyorozu hadn't been so fortunate.

He wants to forget. Sleep was usually his solution to the problem, but lately it had been near impossible to get any with the demons that haunt his dreams.

There is no escape from them whether waking or sleeping.

* * *

 _"Shouto Todoroki. How sad."_ The stitch-faced man stares into his soul before giving him a devilish grin. He isn't sure why after all these years, the man continues to torment him—and yet deep down inside he feels like the villain is a part of him; a strange sense of familiarity he can't seem to shake off.

 _"You couldn't even save one poor little girl, and you have the nerve to call yourself a hero?"_ The man sneers at him before stretching out his arm and engulfing Shouto in blue flames, swallowing his silent screams.

* * *

 _"Todoroki…"_

He opens his eyes and she's there, pressing into him, a sultry look on her face. Her already revealing hero costume is a bit lower, a bit looser, and it's impossible not to notice her assets draped delicately against his chest. How many times had he fantasized about such a situation as this?

His heart skips a beat as she shifts her weight on him, bringing her face closer to his.

 _"Shouto…"_ She whispers, drawing it out lightly, as if she enjoys the taste of his name on her tongue. Her face spreads into a smile which he loved so much in life—but this was cruel, too cruel. His breath hitches as her lips graze his own, and her hands, ice cold, press down on his shoulders. It's her eyes that convince him this is not the Momo Yaoyorozu he knows. He had always loved the fire in her eyes—this facsimile's are devoid of emotion—lifeless.

 _Please, stop it._

—But his voice won't come out. He struggles to move his arms, legs— _anything_ —but his body refuses to obey his thoughts, still very much asleep.

He watches as she lets out her ponytail, her raven black hair cascading around his face, bringing with it a faint scent of cherry blossoms that had always been comforting and familiar.

 _"Isn't this what you wanted?"_ She breathes, fingers trailing the right side of his face—but they are cold, too cold, even for this half of him.

 _No—_

 _not like this._

Regret runs deep through his being and there are a million words he wishes he had said to her before her life had ended all too abruptly.

 _I'm sorry._ For taking the burden on myself, not considering your feelings.

 _Thank you._ For trusting me, believing in me, encouraging me all those years.

And his biggest regret.

The three words he never had the courage to say.

 _"If you loved me so much, Shouto…"_ Her voice sounds like wind whistling through leaves of a tree, stealing the unspoken words from his thoughts as she pushes herself up on his stomach. He watches in horror as the red of her hero costume morphs into blood; crimson color that spreads up to her face and drips down onto his paralyzed body like tears.

 _"Why didn't you save me?"_

* * *

 _A/N: This is a vague sequel to another one-shot I started writing and never posted (got distracted writing "Conflicted Interest" instead haha), but since Halloween is coming up I figured I'd post this one first since I'm happier with how it turned out._

 _(I don't quite remember why I decided to include Dabi in there but I guess he's pretty cool and I subscribe to ALL the Todoroki family theories)_


	4. (Don't) Stop Me Now

_"Eh, Germany!?"_

 _"Ahhh, congrats! That's amazing!"_

 _"So bourgeois!"_

 _"Can we come visit you while you're there, Yaomomo?"_

He first hears about it in whispers among the 1-A girls at their graduation party. Yaoyorozu's parents were gracious enough to host their entire class to celebrate, now that they're all on the cusp of becoming pro-heroes.

Apparently that's not the case for one of them. _Apparently_ this party was also a going-away party, of sorts.

"Yaoyorozu, you're…studying abroad?"

He asks her after the party ends. He stays late to help clean up—but also because this is all a bit unexpected and a little more upsetting and he still doesn't know how to feel about it.

...Maybe he's just a bit hurt he's only hearing about this now. Hadn't the last three years proven they were closer than that? Why hadn't she mentioned it before?

She smiles back at him nervously. "Yeah."

"Why?" He didn't mean to sound rude, but she looks a bit taken aback.

"Mother and Father both did when they graduated high school," she says, looking at him curiously. "They thought it would be a good idea that I do the same. I've never lived in another country before."

He isn't sure how to respond.

"I see."

She chuckles. "Maybe you should consider it too, Todoroki."

His heart leaps in his chest but he manages to keep his voice even. _"Going to Germany with you?"_

Her eyes widen and she shakes her head, face flushed. "No no—I meant living abroad in another country."

"Oh." That makes a lot more sense but he has to swallow his disappointment.

She smiles at him. "I think you'd be well-suited for living abroad. You're very good at adapting to your circumstances."

"…Thanks."

She's right in that aspect. As far as hero work goes, he's always been quick to alter his strategies to fit the situation at hand. It's something he knows well.

He doesn't know how well he'll adapt to not having her presence around anymore, though. It's not something he wants to think about.

"I'm really happy for you."

He says it like he means it. Tries to, anyway.

"Thanks, Todoroki."

There's a strange sadness in the way her eyebrows curve and her eyes look away from his. She's probably nervous. But she must also be excited to be going somewhere new; somewhere so far, far away...

He's happy for her. Really.

 _Really._

"How long are you planning to stay out there?"

She sighs.

"At least the three years it'll take me to get a degree. Beyond that…"

She shrugs.

 _"Who knows?"_

* * *

He offered to drive them all to the airport. It was the chivalrous thing to do, and given that Iida is such a stickler for traffic laws when he's the one driving, Shouto figured they'd get there faster if he volunteered.

Yaoyorozu had seemed surprised when he offered them all a ride.

"You really don't need to do that, Todoroki, " she had said, face flushed, hands waving incessantly in front of her. "It's out of the way and I don't want to trouble you."

"I want to," he had responded plainly. _Please_.

* * *

Part of him wishes he had picked up Yaoyorozu first. To have that short bit of time in the car with her—just the two of them. But logically it doesn't make sense—she lives the furthest away from him, and closest to the airport.

So instead he's picking up Jirou first, and then Iida.

Jirou gets in the backseat passenger side when he arrives. He debates whether to tell her he's not a chauffeur, but supposes it's fine since it leaves the front seat open for someone else. _Hopefully not Iida._

She yawns. He can't blame her. It's an ungodly hour of the morning and seeing Yaoyorozu off has proven to be a true sacrifice of sleep.

It's worth the sacrifice, though. Probably.

He doesn't say anything as they continue on to Iida's house. Iida, who had insisted on coming—fulfilling his duty as a Class President—or something along the lines of that.

 _"Y'know, I really thought you'd have said something by now, Half and Half."_

Jirou breaks the silence, and he glances at her in the rear-view mirror. She's looking out the window, arms crossed and earphone jacks pressed up against the glass.

"What do you mean?"

The next time he glances up she's looking back at him in the mirror with narrowed eyes. They look slightly red and swollen. He doesn't comment on it but imagines she can't be handling Yaoyorozu's departure well, either.

Jirou sighs and returns her attention to the window.

"You really are oblivious, huh?"

* * *

 _They keep in contact after graduation. Yaoyorozu ends up alongside him at Endeavor's agency. And after partnering up on a variety of missions, and reminiscing on all their time spent together in high school—the late night talks and comfortable silences, study nights and tea breaks—he finally asks her to be his girlfriend._

 _She says yes._

 _._

 _._

 _._

That was how he thought things would play out. But now they're here at the airport terminal and she's about to leave.

He thinks back on Midoriya's words. The boy had called him the night before, his voice laced with concern.

 _"Are you…really okay with this, Todoroki?"_

 _His heart feels too heavy for him to stand so he's been lying on his bed for...who knows how long at this point. His friend's voice sounds so earnest, and he is tired, so tired, yet somehow he finds the energy to put up a front._

 _"I'm fine." He says flatly._

 _Midoriya's not convinced. "Are you sure?"_

 _"Yeah," he breathes, finding it hard to muster the will to say anything further. There's silence on the other end._

 _"Ok, if you say so," Midoriya's voice responds uncertainly. He sounds like he's muttering something on the other end. Shouto can't tell if he's talking to himself or not, but he catches the last line because the boy states it loud and clear._

 _"Regret…is the worst feeling in the world."_

* * *

She gives Iida a respectful bow, Jirou a tight hug, and finally stands in front of him, expectantly. Her eyes look a little misty, but he's not arrogant enough to assume it's directed solely at him.

He opens his mouth to say something, but words don't come out. There are a lot of things he could say right now, and none of them seem appropriate for the moment. These are words that should have been said weeks, months, even years ago.

Now, it's too late. Now, he thinks, they're better left unsaid.

 _"I'm…really going to miss having you around, you know."_

 _"What am I going to do without you?"_

 _"I need you…"_

...No, that's not true. Need is a strong word. He _wants_ her, but he's not about to let his own selfish desires get in the way of her plans.

"Do your best out there, Yaoyorozu."

He stands there awkwardly with his hands in his pockets and puts on his best half-smile, willing his body to stop trembling. He wants the weight of emotions coursing through him to just be gone. It is soul-crushing and he isn't sure how much longer he can keep up this calm facade.

"Thanks, Todoroki."

There's a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

A wistful glance into his eyes.

He chalks it up to her nervousness at the journey she's about to embark on.

But then again—

Why do her eyes linger on his as the intercom calling her to board sounds overhead?

...Why did she save her last good-bye for him?

* * *

One last smile as she turns around and starts walking towards the plane that will take her away from them all.

He knows he's being selfish by wanting what he does. For a moment, that desire threatens to make itself known.

 _"Don't go," he blurts out._

 _She stops. Her head whips around, ponytail bouncing, eyebrows furrowing in confusion._

 _"What?"_

 _Walking the three steps separating them, he throws his arms around the girl and she stiffens at the sudden contact._

 _"I want you here," he whispers into her ear. Her breath feels hot on the back of his neck._

 _"Todoroki, I—"_

 _He says three more words._

 _He hears her breath hitch, and only then does her posture relax into his; arms molding into his back as if they belonged there. He breathes in the distinct scent of peach blossoms and relaxes into her arms as well._

 _He feels her smile on his skin as she whispers back._

 _"I love you, too."_

* * *

That's not what happens.

He watches as she walks away, her luggage trailing behind her. Further, further, until he can barely see the familiar spikes of her ponytail. He keeps hoping she'll turn around to steal one more glance at him. To confirm that everything he's feeling right now and all that he's felt over the last three years isn't just in his own mind and heart.

.

.

.

.

.

.

She doesn't.

* * *

 _"Looking back, I have this to regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so." ~David Grayson_

* * *

 _A/N: Vaguely drawn from my own HS experiences. There was obvious mutual attraction between a pair of my friends and one of them unexpectedly decided to study abroad. As a high schooler, this seemed like the end of the world. In reality, that's just how life works. People learn to adapt and move on._

 _As with all shippy one-shots I write, I look back on this and feel like it's overly dramatic. However, I'm aware that my high school self dramatized everything so maybe this isn't so far off._


End file.
